Overall banding machine



J. PODGORNY OVERALL BANDING MACHINE March 9, 1943.

Filed Nov. 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l IIIEVYENTOR: *John 0 arm 7 BY 3/) ATTORNEYS.

March 9, 1943.

J. PODGORNY OVERALL BANDINQ MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1939 INVENTOR: John P0 WITNESSES:

dyorny, BY 'W W ATTORNEYS.

March 9, 1.943. J. PODGORNY 2,313,261

OVERALL BANDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24-, 1939 '5 Sheets-Sheet s W m Mm m 0 m \k m m r W a m I WITNESSES: Z/Mw;

March 9, 1943. J. PODGORNY OVERALL BANDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24,- 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 M a Fl QT. K

7. W as? S m v T E N N. E R V mm m T A John P0 BY W March 9, 1943; ,1. PODGORNY 2,313,261

I OVERALL BANDING MACHINE I Filed Nov. 24, 195$ 5 Sheets-She et 5 WJL M WITNESSES; INVENTOR;

Jvhn Podynrn y 4M )y l. mm

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1943 2,313,261 OVERALL BANDING MACHINE John Podgorny, Harvey, 111., Special Machine Company,

poration of Illinois assignor to Union Chicago, 111., a cor- Application November 24, 1939, Serial N 0. 305,831

12 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines, and has reference more particularly to sewing machines useful in such operations as the application of cross strips or bands incident to the con nection of bibs to the trousers of overalls. In the production of overalls, it is desirable to prevent stitching of portions of the cross strips and thus obviate the necessity for subsequent partial ripping of seams. in order to facilitate certain finishing steps which are to follow.

One of the aims of my invention is to make it possible to contract the strip at intervals during the sewing and thereby prevent penetration of'its side edges by the needles of the machine, and' to accomplish this contraction without distortion of marginal folds made along the sides of the strip prior to reaching the region of stitch formation, and. thereby insure accurate maintenance of a predetermined uniform width in the fold margins as well as deviation of the strip from a straight courseof travel. This desideratum I attain in practice, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of a strip control mechanism including a pair of elements which grasp the edge folds of the strip, and means whereby, incident to actuation at the will of the operator, said elements are moved toward each other along straight lines transversely of the direction of feeding to laterally collapse the strip.

Another aim of my invention is to secure the foregoing advantages in strip control mechanism which can be bodily retracted to withdrawthe grasp members from the region of stitch formation at the work support of the machine. .This objective I realize in practice, as also hereinafter more fully disclosed, by mounting the strip control mechanism on a plate which serves to normallyclosean access opening in the side of the machine frame to the complemental stitch forming mechanism beneath the work support.

My invention is further concernedwith structural improvements which will permit withdrawal of the strip control mechanism to the exclusion of interference with other juxtaposed elements usually associated with overall machines to edge fold or hem the bib and to separately support the trouser portion of the overalls en route to the stitch forming instrumentalities.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I shows the front elevation of a sewing machine conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary view of the machine in end elevation as seen from the left of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a view corresponding to Fig. II. with bib edge folder, the auxiliary support for the overall trouser material withdrawn and the closure cover for the spring in the machine frame with the strip folder and the strip control mechanism thereon retracted for access to the complementary stitch-forming mechanism beneath the work support. r

Fig. IV is a fragmentary viewof the machine in transverse section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IVIV in Fig. I and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. V is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of the strip folder guide, and the upper strip control of the lower strip folder.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary view in plan, looking as indicated by the angled arrows VIVI in Fig. I.

Figs. VII and VIII are diagrammatic views in front elevation showing the manner-in whichthe strip control means operates.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary plan View corresponding to Fig. VIII.

Figs. X and XI are fragmentary views in cross section respectively showing the seam normally produced by the machine, and the portion of the seam where stitching of the strip is avoided.

Fig. XII is a fragmentary view of the machine in front elevation with bib folder and the auxiliary support for the trouser material removed to expose the strip control mean Fig. XIII is a view like Fig. XII showing a different grouping of the needles and a correspondingly different setting means; and

Fig. XIV is, in turn, a view corresponding to Fig. XIII with the parts of the strip control means positioned to laterally contract said strip.

The sewing machine which I have chosen for convenience of exemplifying my invention herein is of the flat bed type having a transversely open base I (Figs. I, II, and III), with a standard 2 rising therefrom at one end and carrying an arm 3 which longitudinally overhangs a horizontal work supporting plate 4 suitably sustained at the top of said base by crosswise-extending pedestals 5 and 6. Confined to up and down movement in a head 1 at the free end of the arm 3 is a bar 8 whereto is secured, at the lower end, a cross head 9 which carries two spaced groups of needles It, ll and l2, l3, said needle groups being disposed at right angles to the direction of feeding which is transversely of the work support 4 as indicated by the large arrow in Fig. II. The needles H), H and l2, is are in turn spaced from each other crosswise of the direction of feeding. From Fig. II it will be further noted that the needles l0, l2 and II, I3 are respectively abreast of each other and spaced somewhat in the direction of feeding. The needle bar 8 is actuated through connections (not shown) within the hollows of the standard 2 and the arm 3, from a drive shaft [5 which extends longituditogether with a portionof the strip controlnally of the base and which is provided at its protruding end with a combined hand and belt wheel IS.

The complemental stitch forming means of the machine in this instance includes a plurality of loopers, of which two which cooperate with the needles |-|3 in a well known way beneath the work support. The loopers are actuated from the drive shaft l5 through mechanism shown in part in Fig. IV and comprehensively designated by the numeral IS. The function of progressing the work in the machine is vested in a four motion feed dog 20, see Fig. IV, which, like the needles and the loopers, is actuated from the drive shaft |5 through separate mechanism partly shown at 2| in Figs. II, III and IV. As depicted in Fig. IV, the feed dog has teeth which engage the work from beneath through slots in a throat plate 22 set into the work support 4. Coacting with the dog 20 in the feeding, is a presser foot 25 which can rock about a pivot 26 at the lower end of a bar 21 guided for vertical reciprocation in the needle head I. A regulatable leaf spring 28 mounted on the arm 3 bears on the top end of the bar 2'1 to yieldingly urge the presser foot 25 toward the work support 4 as required.

In order that the machine may be employed, for example, in the production of overalls to unite the bib indicated at B in Figs. IV, VIII, X I

and XI with the top of the trouser fabric T andat the same time attach a band or strip S over the juncture, it is provided with an edge folder 30 for the bib, an auxiliary supporting plate 3| for the trouser fabric, and a folder guide 32 for the strip. The folder 30 comprises a horn which is convolute in form and tapers from its receiving end to its delivery end, so that as the bib passes through it, a turned under hem is formed along its edge at b in Figs. VII, VIII, X and XI. The shank 30a of the folder guide 30 is superimposed upon the shank 3|a of the auxiliary work supporting plate 3|, and the two are pivotally connectedby a screw stud 33 to the top of the work support 4 of the machine so that they may be swung aside either independently or together from the operative full line position to the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. VI. The plate 3| overlies the work support 4 and extends beyond the end of the latter as well as forwardly of the front of the machine where it curves downwardly as best seen in Fig. II. As the trouser material T passes over the plate 3|, its edge is guided by a stop shoulder 35 on the bib folder 33. The strip folder guide 32 is supported at an upward inclination beneath the plate 3|, see Figs. II and IV, with its delivery end fitting into a recess 35 in the front edge of the work support 4. As shown in Fig. V, the strip folder guide 32 is of horizontally-flat tubu lar cross section, its hollow being of such configuration so as to upwardly and inwardly turn margins along the side edges of the strip as at s. It will be understood that the elements 30, 3| and 32 are so positioned, one in respect to the other, that the bib B and trouser material T and the strip S are delivered to the needles |0-|3 in the relation shown in Fig. VIII, to determine connection of the three fabric portions by four independent lines 31, 38, 39 and 40 of stitching as shown in Fig. X.

In adapting my invention to a sewing machine of the type such as has been described, I provide a cover plate 4| for the open front side of the base between the pedestals 5 and 6. As

are shown at I! and I8,

shown in Figs. I-IV, the cover plate 4| is swingable downwardly about hinge members 42 secured to the front of the base by screws 43, and is normally held in closed position through engagement of a spring catch 44 which hooks over a stud 45, see Fig. II, projecting from the pedestal 5. A stop screw 46 adjustable in the cover plate 4| contacts the pedestal 5, as also shown in Fig. II, to limit the inward movement of said plate. To the front of the cover plate 4| is rigidly secured a bracket 41 with a sloping portion 41a to which strip folder guide 32 is secured with capacity for lateral adjustment by means of two screws 48. The strip control mechanism of my invention, which, together with the strip folder guide 32, is carried by the cover plate 4|. From Figs. I, III and XII, it will be noted that this strip control means includes a pair of slide bars 50 and 5| which are slidable endwise in longitudinal grooves 52 and 53in the front face of the cover plate 4|, and which at their left hand ends (Fig. I) carry upright members 54 and 55 whereof the tops are fashioned to the form of comparatively narrow parallel grasps which extend toward each other and overreach the lap margins 8 along opposite sides of the strip S with their ends turned downwardly and retroverted inwardly to engage beneath said margins and thereby operate to maintain the folds as the strip emerges from the folder 32 in the region of stitch formation. By means of a lever 55 fulcrumed on a stud screw 51 on the cover plate 4| in the interval between the slide bars 50 and 5|, and having slots 58 and 59 in engagement with screw studs Biland 6| on saidslide bars, the latter may be oppositely shifted to move the grasp members 54 and 55 inward toward each other from the normal position in Figs. V and VII to the position in Figs. VIII and. IX. As a consequence, the strip S is contracted transversely as shown in Figs. VIII and IX and its penetration by the needles ||||3 thereby prevented as is desirable in the production of overalls to leave the strip S unattached at each edge of the bib B as is desirable for conveninece of performing subsequent finishing steps. Incident to such contraction, a central tongue projection 60 (Figs. V and VII) of the top wall of the folder 32 extending forwardly between the grasps 54 and 55 serves. to hold down the mid area of the strip S for better control of said strip and to preclude displacement of the edge folds s from within said grasps. Upon release of the lever 56, a spring 52 with its ends connected to anchorage 63 and 64 respectively on the cover plate 4| and on said lever, operates to reversely move the bars and so return the grasp elements 54 and 55 to their normal remotely separated positions. In order that the hands of the operator may be left free to manipulate the trouser fabric '1 and the bib .8, either a knee press or a foot treadle (not shown) is preferably provided for moving the lever 56, to which said lever is connected by a link rod shown at 65, see Figs. I and XII. Adjustable stops shown at 65 and 61 engageable by the right hand ends of the slide bars 50 and 5|, serve to limit the movement of the grasps 54 and 55 in opposite directions.

The right line travel of the grasp elements 54 and 55 is especially advantageous in that it precludes excess distortion of the edges of the strip S during contraction of said strip as above described, as well as deflection of the strip from the desired straight path of travel. When access is necessary to the loopers H and l8 for threading, the auxiliary work plate 3| and the folder 3!! are first moved aside in the manner previously explained, whereupon the cover plate 4! may, without interference, be swung down on its hinges to withdraw the folder guide 32 and the grasp elements 54 and 55 from the region of stitch formation.

Figs. XIII and XIV show the strip control means adjusted or set to suit a different arrangement of the needles wherein two needles l and II are used to form two lines of stitches in the work along one side of the strip S and wherein but one needle I3 is used to form a single line of stitches along the other side of the strip. The rearrangement is effected by shifting the fulcrum point of the lever '58 Which is achieved simply by removing the fulcrum screw 51 from the hole 68 which it previously occupied in the cover plate 4|, to another hole 68 at a higher level, with the result that while the grasp member 55 is moved through the same distance as before the other grasp member 54 is concurrently given a differential movement of lesser extentjust sufficient to clear the needle [3. Additional holes H3 and I! are provided in the cover plate M, to which the fulcrum screw 51 may be transposed to suit still other arrangements of the needles; and the slide bars 59 with additional holes at 12 and 13 respectively to which the pivot screws 60 and BI may be transposed if necessary. Such rearrangements of the strip control means may require lateral adjustments of the folders and 32, which adjustments can be readily made in a manner obvious from the showing in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, a base having a work support at its top; a pair of laterally spaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; a guide to direct strip material with folds along its side edges to the region of stitch formation for penetration of the folds by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its folds by the needles, including a pair of elements configured to envelop and thereby definitely maintain the edge folds of the strip, means confining said elements to straight line movement at right angles to the direction of feeding, and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip.

2. In a. sewing machine, a base having a work support at its top; a pair of laterally spaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; a guide to direct strip material with folds along its side edges to the region of stitch formation for penetration of the folds by the needles respectively, said guide being of horizontally fiat tubular cross section with a forward central hold-down tongue-prolongation on its top wall at its delivery end; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its folds by the needles, including elements configured to envelop and thereby definitely maintain the edge folds of the strip respectively at opposite sides of the hold-down tongue on the guide, means confining said elements to straight line movement transversely of the direction of feeding, and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip.

3. In a sewing machine, a base having a work support at its top;

and 5 I provided a pair of laterally spaced neeguiding strip material dles movable up and down relative to the work support; means for guidin strip material with folds along its side edges for penetration of the folds by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the striplaterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of the folds by the needles, including a pair of elements configured to envelop and thereby definitely maintain the edge folds of the strip in the region of stitch formation, a pair of endwise-slidable parallel bars carrying said elements and confining them to straight line movement at right angles to the direction of feeding, and means for moving said bars oppositely to actuate the strip enveloping elements.

4. In a sewing machine, a base having a work support at its top, a pair of laterallyspaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; means for guiding strip material with folds along its side edges and delivering it in the region of stitch formation for penetration of the folds by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its folds by the needles, including a pair of elements for enveloping the opposite edge folds of the strip in the region of stitch formation to definitely maintain them, a pair of endwise-slidable parallel bars carrying said elements and confining them to straight movement at right angles. to the direction of feeding, and a lever for moving said bars oppositely to actuate the elements, said lever being swingable about a fulcrum intermediate the two bars and operatively connected to said bars.

5. In a sewing machine, a base having a worksupport at its top; a pair of laterally spaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; means for guiding strip material with folds along its side edges and delivering it in the region of stitch formation for penetration of the folds by the needles respectively; strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to revent penetration of its edges by the needles, including a pair of elements forenveloping the edge folds of the strip in the region of stitch formation to definitely maintain them; means confining said elements to straight line movement at right angles to the direction of feeding, means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip; and means supporting the strip control means with capacity for retraction to withdraw the strip enveloping elements from the region of stitch formation.

6. In a sewing machine, a base with an opening in one side of a work support at the top; a pair of laterally spaced needles movable down through the work support; complemental stitch forming means to cooperate with the needles below the work support; a cover for the opening in the side of the work support capable of retraction when access is to be had to the complemental stitch forming means; means for with folds along its side edges and delivering it in the region of stitch formation for penetration of its folds by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its folds by the needles, including a pair of elements for enveloping the edge folds of the strip in the region of stitch formation to definitely maintain them and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip, said strip control mechanism being mounted on the cover so that the strip enveloping elements are withdrawn from the region of stitch formation when the cover is retracted.

7. In a sewing machine, a base with an opening in one side and a work support at the top; a pair of laterally spaced needles movable down through the work support; complemental stitch forming means to cooperate with the needles below the work support; a cover for the opening in the side of the work support capable of retraction when access is to be had to the complemental stitch forming means; means on the cover for guiding strip material with folds along its side edges for delivery at the region of stitch formation and penetration by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally in the region of stitch formation when desirable to prevent penetration of its edge folds by the needles; including a pair of elements for enveloping the edge folds of the strip to definitely maintain them, and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip, said strip control mechanism being also mounted on the cover so that the strip engaging elements and the strip guide are withdrawn from the region of stitch-formation when the cover is retracted as aforesaid.

8. In a sewing machine, a work support; a pair of laterally-spaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; a folder guide for retroverting the side edges of strip material and delivering the strip in the region of stitch formation so that its side folds are penetrated by the needles respectively; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its edge folds by the needles, including a pair of fold maintaining elements with parallel volute gripping portions which overreach the side edges of the strip and engage beneath its edge folds, means confining said elements to straight line movement at right angles to the direction of feeding, and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip.

9. In a sewing machine, a base having an opening in one side and a work support at the top; a pair of laterally-spaced needles movable down through thework support; complemental stitch forming means to cooperate with needles below the work support; a retractable cover normally closing the side opening in the base; a folder guide mounted on the cover and operative to retrovert the side edges of the strip and to deliver the strip in the region of stitch formation so that its edge folds are penetrated by the needles respectively; control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally when desirable to prevent penetration of its edge folds by the needles, including a pair of elements for enveloping the folds at opposite strip edges in the region of stitch formation to definitely maintain them, and means for moving said elements toward each other to contract the strip, said strip control mechanism being also mounted on the cover so that the strip fold enveloping elements are withdrawn, together with the folder guide, from the region of stitch formation as the cover is retracted.

10. In a sewing machine, a work support; two groups of laterally spaced needles movable up and down relative to the work support; means for guiding a strip with folds along the side edge for delivery so that the folds are penetrated by certain needles respectively of the two groups; strip controlmeans including a pair of elements for respectively enveloping the folds of the strip to definitely maintain them, actuating means for moving the elements toward each other by equal amounts to contract the strip when desirable, and thereby prevent penetration of its folds by the aforesaid certain needles, a pair of endwiseslidable parallel bars carrying said elements and confining them to straight line movement at right angles to the direction of feeding, a lever operatively connected to the bars for shifting them oppositely to move the elements toward each other by equal amounts when equal numbers of needles are employed in the two groups, and provisions whereby the position of the lever fulcrum may be changed to differentially move the rods when the needles in the two groups differ in number.

11. In a sewing machine for performing operations such as the application of hand strips with folds along their edges incident to seaming together the bib and trouser portions of overalls, comprising a base with an opening in its side and a work support at the top; laterally spaced nee-' dles movable down through the work support; complemental stitch forming mechanism to cooperate with the needles below the work support; a retractable cover for the side opening; a folder guide for retroverting one edge of the bib and directing the fold for penetration by one of the needles, and an auxiliary support for the trouser material beneath the bib folder guide, said bib folder guide and the auxiliary support being pivoted to the work support so as to be horizontally retractable with respect to the region of stitch formation; a guide on the cover extending beneath the auxiliary support and operative to deliver the strip at the region of stitch formation for penetration of its folds by the two needles respectively, said strip guide having a shoulder for directing the upper edge of the trouser material into underlapping relation with the fold of the bib for penetration by one of the two needles; and strip control mechanism for contracting the strip laterally, when desirable, to prevent penetration of its folds by the needles, including a pair of elements for enveloping the edge folds of the strip in the region of stitch formation, and means for moving said elements toward each other to laterally contract the strip, sai-d mechanism being also mounted on the cover so that the strip edge engaging elements may be withdrawn from the region of stitch formation upon retraction of the cover after the bib folder guide and the auxiliary support aforesaid have been moved out of the way.

12. A sewing machine comprising a work support; a pair of needles fixed in laterally-spaced relation and movable up and down relative to the work support; means for feeding strip material across the work support past the needles; a folder for retroverting the side edges of the strip guide elements for engaging the side edge folds of the strip and directing the strip for penetration normally by the needles at different distances from said side edges; and adjustable manual means whereby said guide elements can be uniformly or differentially moved toward each other at will relative to the folder during the sewing to laterally collapse the strip and thereby prevent penetration of its side edges by the needles when desired.

JOHN PODGORNY. 

